“Do I have a code name? II'm pretty sure I get a code name. I'd like to choose it."
His fingers fall from my elbow. A pity. "Yes," he says. "As a matter of fact, you do have a code name."
"I knew it!" My twirl is the glee-filled kind. "What is it? Sidewinder or Lightning or maybe Pegasus?"
"We were calling you Butterfly."
Huh. "That's nice, I guess." A little soft, but okay.
"Then, the tabloids gave you the moniker. The Lost Butterfly, so we had to change it."
I perk up.
"I suggested it," he baits.
"What did you suggest?" I look up at Akio with stars in my eyes. The possibilities are endless---Sunshine, Moonflower, Cherry Blossom. My thoughts are a runaway train. Maybe he likes me. Maybe he's not as mean as he seems. Maybe I've terribly misjudged him and this is just a rocky start to a friendship that turns to love that will last the ages. Our affair will inspire folksy campfire ballads.
It's the first time I see Akio smile. It's part evil, part satisfied, as if he's just won a bet with himself. "Radish.”